A Mental Thing
by Riyo Shiban
Summary: How does Hinamori react after Captain Aizen leaves? Badly. With Hitsugaya worried and Hanatarou confused, will Hinamori be okay? Finished!
1. A Very Cold Room

The horrifics are back! This is full of them. A quick Japanese guide should do it:

**-Chan**: Usually translated to 'little'. Used for cute girls or little kids, can also be used in a derogatory way. _(Nanao-chan!)_**  
-Kun**: Usually for boys, used for boys who are good friends_ (Hitsugaya-kun!)_, young boys, and sometimes for girls (_Hinamori-chan_.  
**-San**: Usually translated into Mr./Ms. It means the speaker is unfamiliar with the spoken to._(Yoruichi-san!)_  
**Chotto!**: Excuse me! Used for when trying to get attention in a semi-polite way.  
**Momo**: Peach. Do you watch Avatar?  
**Unpunctual**: Hey! This isn't Japanese! No, it's a real word(I checked...). It means 'tending to be late'.  
**Sumimasen**: Sorry! Excuse me!  
**Gomen Nasai!**: I'm sorry!  
**Boku wa Yamada Hanatarou desu**: I am Yamada Hanatarou. (This sentence only works for men)  
**Hajime Mashite**: It is nice to meet you for the first time.  
**Ryoka**: Outsiders. I.e. Ichigo and the other people who broke into Shinigami-Land.  
**Anou**: Sometimes means 'That', but in my stories shall forever mean 'Um...', 'Er...', 'Eh...' Ect.

* * *

It had become more of a mental thing.

Hinamori would never be very athletic again. She could fight, but whenever she got too tired, she would collapse. One of her lungs had been punctured by the knife, and, though the fourth squad had made that lung useable again, it would never quite work as well as the other. She would collapse from oxygen deficiency before she would die of the enemy's blade.

"If the world where a better place," Hinamori mused out loud, "I would be working on a way to fight without breathing too much." Hinamori squeezed her hands together and shivered in the small, cold room. The tears running down her face weren't making it any warmer, "But the world is not such a good place," She said, "Because Captain Aizen is dead."

No matter _what_ anyone else told her, Captain Aizen was _dead_ all over again. He died, and then he died again. Hinamori couldn't quite make sense of it, but it made more senses than the stories Hitsugaya-kun had told her. The lies. Captain Aizen had not, could not, join the Menos! It was inconceivable!

Rangiku-san had even come in and lied to her as well! Telling the same lies to her as Hitsugaya-kun! She had started to cry and had hid in her room. She had never noticed how small and cold her room was. She wanted to get some blankets but her urge to stay still was stronger. A quiet voice in the back of her head told her to mourn Aizen, and to do nothing else.

Ever.

* * *

Nanao prided herself on many things, but above all she was proud of two things the most. The first was her ability to run very fast without the aid of spiritual power. The second was her ability to not lose her cool in front of her captain. Her captain was a good person, she trusted and respected him, but, he was a constant aggravation for her.

Though, at the moment Nanao was using the prior mentioned to the best of her ability. Jumping off another rooftop, she landed with a dull _thump _in the main court yard. She optically scanned the area.

"Chotto, Captain Hitsugaya!" Nanao turned to look at her superior, a boy who looked as if he was in primary school.

"Yes, Ise-san?" Hitsugaya, who had been walking towards the general direction of his vice-captain ("Matsumoto-san, what _did_ you do to Kira-san?"), turned to ask.

"Hinamori-san has spoken again." Nanao walked over to the young captain.

"What did she say?"

Nanao, who had a very good memory, said, "If the world where a better-"

"Oh, yes, I know, she has been saying that for the past three days." Hitsugaya nodded.

Nanao sighed. _This __boy seems like he is very good at masking his emotions_, she thought, _but a little bit of that anger and sadness is leaking out_.

"I just thought you might like to know, sir." Nanao started to walk away.

"It's odd," Hitsugaya squinted his eyes as if there where sun in his face, but it was a cloudy day, so Nanao highly doubted that, "that Hinamori-chan always said how hot and stuffy her room was. It isn't at all like her to stay in there for this long."

Nanao sighed and Hitsugaya walked away.

* * *

Nanao's shift was over. She no longer had to watch the slightly insane Hinamori Momo _(A/N: Did you know that? Hinamori's first name means _peachtalk to herself in a stuffy room. Nanao was starting to wonder how this girl had ever become a vise-captain in the first place.

But that wasn't the only thing bothering Nanao. The replacement for Hinamori's 'guard' was late. She had never known someone from the fourth squad to be so unpunctual. She stifled. Was 'unpunctual' a word? She started to pull out her book when-

"Sumimasen! Sumimasen! Gomen Nasai, I'm so late, I got lost and then," a frail looking boy with a healing pack _(A/N: For the life of me, I don't know what those things are called! Do you know?)_ ran up to Nanao. He perfectly personified the stereotype of the fourth squad, "and then these guys from squad eleven... well, anyway, Boku wa Yamada Hanatarou desu. Hajime Mashite. I'm here to watch Hinamori-san." The boy was panting now.

"Ah. I'm Ise Nanao. I'll be leaving now." Nanao was glad to be away from that room and that girl. She was rather creepy, the way she kept talking to herself about 'Hitsugaya-kun's lies' and 'How cold this room is.'

Nanao Shuffled away. Was someone calling her? "Nanao-Chan!" Yes, someone was calling her.

"Nanao-Chan!"

* * *

Hanatarou had been promoted since the Ryoka incident. Well, not really promoted. His rank was still the same, put Hanatarou was getting assigned to better jobs. Hanatarou smiled with pride. Today, even, when his commanding officer had started picking on him, some one had told him to stop! Hanatarou couldn't really remember anything after that, it was all a painful blur, but it was a start!

Hanatarou was rubbing a bruise on his arm when he heard a voice from behind the door.

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

Though Hanatarou had never met this Hinamori Momo he could guess that this was her voice. It was a very cute voice.

"Anou... I'm not Captain Hitsugaya. I'm Yamada Hanatarou, what's your name?" Hanatarou already knew her name, but she presumed it polite to ask.

"I-I'm Hinamori Mono. Are you a vice-captain like the other one?" Hinamori whispered.

Hanatarou presumed that 'The other one' was Nanao Ise, "No, I'm not a vice-captain."

"Good. Than I can talk to you without you telling everything to your captain." Hinamori's voice was growing louder.

Truth be told, Hanatarou had never meet his captain, but if Hinamori said anything important, he would have to tell Captain Uohana or Captain Hitsugaya. He didn't say anything, not wanting to lie, and Hinamori took this for an agreement.

"So, eh, Hinamori-san..."

"Why does everyone hate Captain Aizen so much?" Hinamori interrupted him to shoot straight to the point.

"W-well, he did some bad things..." Hanatarou didn't want to be called a liar, but, well, this was the truth. Rukia had told him what happened, and he trusted Rukia.

"You're a liar like the rest of them!" Hinamori banged her fist on the inside of the door, causing Hanatarou to twitch.

"N-no, I'm telling the truth, Hinamori-san, but if you don't believe me, that's fine." Hanatarou wanted to ask her something, though, "Why do you still like Aizen so much even after he stabbed you?"

"He stabbed me?" Her voice now seemed echolike.

* * *

Waaa! What do you think of the first chapter? Is it good? I like it a lot! I will write a second chapter. I have plans in mind. If all goes swimmingly, more Hitsugaya will pop up in the second chapter. Nanao might not be there at all. I'm not even sure why she's in this chapter, actually...

It's strange. None of my favorite characters are in this story. I should at least drop Renji in here or something. Speaking of which... Where _is_ that Renji?

_Muffled screaming can be heard coming from the authoresses' closet._

…So that's where I put him...

Please review. I'm not begging, I'm pleading.


	2. Not a Liar Anymore

_(Note: I just re-edited this chapter to find that for some reason all my scene changer lines disapeared! I don't know why! I reposted the chapter with scene changes this time. pleas tell me if they disapear again!)_

I don't like sounding like an idiot, but…

OH MY GOSHNESS!

Thirty-seven reviews! One hundred seven hits! Three favorites and one alert! I was expecting reviews like this: "OMG! I hate U! Y did u make Hinamori so crazy! WTF?"

But I got really great reviews! So great, in fact, that I'm going to go against my moral code and A) start writing early and B) reply to the reviews. It usually takes me a week to make new chapters on my stuff, and I really should be working on my FMA fic… but this one is more fun!

**Senx2**: I shall, I shall...

**Nelia-chan**: Get your lil' bro to go to They have an online manga viewer so he can read the next chapters soon. CLEAR HITSUGAYA-KUN'S NAME!

**Daisuke-fan-gurl**: A daisuke fan? Thank goodness my old Digimon fics got deleted. Or maybe you speak of DNAngel... Whatever THANK YOU FOR ADDING IT TO YOUR FAVORIT LIST! MARRY ME! Just kidding...

**Hyourinmaru**: Isn't that the name ofHitsugaya-kun's Soul cutter? Hm… thank you for the complement! _(Cries with happiness)_

**Reviewer #31: **I feel so loved right now…

**BloodPuddles**: Bloodpuddles… what a happy name... Anyway, thank you for signing the review! Now I can read your Naruto fiction! Yay, Naruto! Gaara! Yar!

**TimCHell**: Yes, Hanatarou does equal love. I try to squeeze him into all of my bleach fiction when I can. On a different note, are you aware you reviewed_ (Counts)_ nine thousand times? You must like my stories! _(Self esteem meter goes up a notch)_

Okay for a fan Japanese guide, I'm not gonna type the same thing over again, so check the last chapter! Please!

Also, this was planned to be the last chapter. I don't know, though, I really don't know where my fics are gonna take me. I only follow. I sound a philosophy-ish!

Also, I don't like Matsumoto/Hitsugaya and that's not what I'm saying. It's just a joke. I promise! I also think Hanatarou is a little bit outta character, but no one else I know reads bleach, so I can't ask them. _(cries)_ I want a beta!

* * *

Hitsugaya was staring out a window and Matsumoto was staring into space. Hitsugaya guessed staring out a window was better. At least you where staring at _something_. And now Matsumoto was staring at her foot. 

Her sexy foot.

Hitsugaya shook his head. Her _very_ sexy foot.

Hitsugaya punched himself in the head.

* * *

"He... stabbed me?" 

"Yes, that's why you have a breathing problem, right?" Hanatarou was getting scarred now; this girl was starting to sound a little weird. Well, weirder than she had ten seconds ago, he meant.

"No, Captain Aizen wouldn't ever do something like that." Hinamori laughed it off. This boy must be mistaken.

"He did! I'm from the fourth squad, Captain Uohana's rescue squad, and I was one of the ones who helped heal you. The knife still had traces of Aizen's aura on it." Hanatarou hadn't actually _done_ the healing, but if one of the healers couldn't do it, he was the first back up.

"No! H-he wouldn't, I... I..." Hinamori but her hand just below her left shoulder, "Is that what this scar is from, Yamada-kun?" Her voice was back to its previous whisper.

"I-I guess...Usually Captain Uohana doesn't leave scars." Hanatarou said, "It must have been a really deep cut."

"Really?"

"Yes, I think so." Hanatarou smiled as to comfort her, but then remembered that she couldn't see him, so it didn't matter.

"That would mean..." Her voice was so quiet now; it was hard for Hanatarou to hear it through a wall, "That Hitsugaya-kun... Wasn't lying?"

"I-I assume so." Hanatarou almost nodded.

"Hitsugaya-kun isn't a liar and Captain Aizen stabbed me." Hinamori whispered.

"H-he isn't a captain anymore." Hanatarou pointed out.

"Aizen stabbed me. Aizen stabbed me." She echoed.

Hanatarou was really creeped out.

* * *

Knock knock. 

"Anou... Captain Hitsugaya...?" said a voice Hitsugaya couldn't identify.

"Yes? You can come in." Hitsugaya, who had recently watched Matsumoto and her sexy feet leave, said.

A small, frail-looking boy not much taller than Hinamori stepped in, "Anou, I'm Yamada Hanatarou of the fourth squad, and I'm the one currently watching Hinamori-san." The boy sat down, "Because Hinamori-san doesn't have any commanding officers anymore I was told to report to you, sir, and well…"

"Please cut to the chase, Yamada-san." The captain of the tenth division was getting a little annoyed.

"Uh, yes, sir, well, Hinamori-san has been talking to herself, now." Hanatarou nodded.

"Should I check it out?"

"Uh, yes, I think you should." Hanatarou was a little bit intimidated by a captain who was younger than himself. He couldn't stop stuttering. This guy must be really smart.

"All right, then." Hitsugaya mentally started preparing himself. Whatever he was going to see, he wasn't going to like it. He grabbed his soul cutter and followed Hanatarou to Hinamori's room.

* * *

"Aizen stabbed me. Aizen stabbed me. Aizen stabbed me!" Hinamori whispered from the confines of her room. 

"Hinamori-Chan." Hitsugaya lightly tapped on Hinamori's door, "Can I talk to you?"

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Yes, that's me."

"I'm sorry."

"Wh-what? Why?" This was all starting to bother Hitsugaya much more than it should. He didn't want to cry again. No, not again.

"I called you a liar." Hinamori was starting to sound like normal again, "Yamada-kun told me you're not a liar. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"I-it's okay, Hinamori-chan." Hitsugaya pressed his hand against the door. The wood was warm. Hinamori's room had always been very warm and stuffy. Keeping the door closed for three days in a row, it must be like a sauna in there!

"Do you forgive me, Hitsugaya-kun?" Hinamori asked.

"I... I forgive you. You'll have to talk to Matsumoto-san, though." Hitsugaya started to open the door, "You where pretty mean to her, too."

Hinamori stepped out of her room, "I was, wasn't I? I'm sorry. Gosh, it's hot in there." She looked back into her room, thinking of a day ago when it had seemed so cold, "I want a new room."

Hitsugaya chuckled, "I'll look into that."

Hanatarou sighed. He was glad Hinamori was okay. She had healed well, physically, but her mind needed a little bit more time.

It had been more of a mental thing.

* * *

I like how that ended. I think I did well! W/ 36 reviews _(Mr. TimCHell!) _I think I did_ very_ well! 

I might be able to write another chapter. It would be unplanned, though, and it would probably have nothing to do with the plot. It would be ether a reflection or a character sketch. If you want me to write it, please tell me.

So...

_**HINAMORI-CHAN WANTS YOU! …TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Extra: Sunrise Ideals

Okie dokies! This is the last chapter of _A Mental Thing_! It's been alot of fun writing this! Thank you for all your kind words concerning this story. I'm so happy that so many people liked it!

* * *

"_Why?_" 

Hinamori recognized him. Aizen. The traitor, the betrayer, her idol.

"_Why didn't you tell me it was a bad idea? I wouldn't have done it if you told me not to._" Aizen floated in the purple mist of Hinamori's dream world.

"I didn't know you where going to..." Hinamori knew this dream. She had been having it over and over for three weeks now. She new it was a dream, and yet every time she had it she still found it impossible to be unafraid.

"_You knew. I _knew_ you knew! I was hoping, the whole time, that you would tell me to stop. I would have called off the whole thing if you told me to stop. _" Aizen's floating body smiled serenely.

"I didn't know! It just- This is all a dream!" Hinamori's dream self, also floating in the purple miasma, screamed.

* * *

"It's just- This is all a dream!" Hinamori's eyes opened quickly. Her pupils dilated to focus on the strand of light snaking into her room. Her _new_ room. It was bigger and had a large window to prevent stuffy-ness. 

She looked around. No one was here. It was just a dream. It was always a dream, and she always ended up waking like this. Usually she awoke an hour late for the daily meeting. Today she awoke three hours before sunrise, judging from the chime-clock in her closet.

She turned on her bed. She threw the blanket up in the air, slept upside-down and other wife's tales to relive sleeplessness. Nothing worked. Her dream had left her unable to fall back asleep. What would she do for the three hours?

* * *

Hitsugaya Toushirou had awoken early every day of his afterlife. It had started right after a shinigami by the name of Nami-something-or-rather had told him 'You are going to live in Rokungai section seventy-nine' and Hitsugaya had gotten an eerie feeling in the pit of his stomach. The feeling was similar to the way he had felt when he had gotten up for school on the last day of his life. The feeling said 'This is all going to go in a _bad_ way'. 

The part of Rokungai he lived in was dirty. He had felt it the first day he came. He resolved to sleep as little as possible. The said he only needed to drink water to survive. They lied.

So some guy had tried to rob him his first day. It was an easy kill; this guy was a newbie, after all! But Hitsugaya was already awake by the time the robber got there, and he left with only a black eye and a shattered tibia.

And Hitsugaya woke up early and went to bed late every day of his afterlife.

Hitsugaya was now sitting on top of a building in the main courtyard of his sector. He liked watching the sun rise.

* * *

Hinamori walked out onto the courtyard. She yawned, stretched and wobbled over to the bench near the left wall. Maybe if she sat here she could see the sun rise.

No...The wall came right up over the horizon, she couldn't see anything. She would have to sit on the roof.

* * *

Hitsugaya stifled. The immediate spirit pressure in the area had changed. It was nothing he couldn't handle. It was-

_Crash!_

"A-a! Hitsugaya-kun! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Hinamori, in her conquest to see the sun rise, landed on Hitsugaya when she jumped onto the roof.

"I'm-ughth-fine, just..." Hitsugaya mumbled.

"Sorry, Hitsugaya-kun, I couldn't here the last part." Hinamori poked the back of Hitsugaya's silver haired head.

"…just get OFF ME!"

"Ah! Sorry!"

* * *

Rangiku liked to let her captain pretend he was the only one who awoke early. She sat a few hind him, letting the sun wash over her. Kira often joined her in the early mornings.

"So..." Kira fumbled with his fingers. It was called a Chinese finger trap and Rangiku loved to watch Kira try his best not to look like a total idiot wile freeing his hands from bondage, "Are they in love?"

"They could be." Rangiku smiled at the two of them arguing over who's fault it was that Hinamori had landed on Hitsugaya's head, "it might be that."

"Can you go into a little more detail please? I'm still confused." Kira started to chew on the finger trap.

"You're not allowed to use your mouth with that, Kira-kun, and I think that the heart has many layers." Rangiku sighed, "One or two layers of their hearts may or may not be in love with each other. Other layers may admire each other. Another layer may even hate the other. An overwhelming amount of layers must exist in agreement to change the surface of ones hearts and change the actions of the person, and I don't think that enough of their hearts are in agreement yet to do anything for the moment."

Kira liked the sound of Rangiku's voice. She always had something to say, innless she was drunk, but she wasn't at the moment. What she said, to him at least, made enough sense.

"Two things are for sure, though." Rangiku said, "something about the other's heart attracts the other for some inexplicable magnetic reason. They don't know why either, but they want to be near and protect each other. The rest, love, will have to wait."

"And what's the second thing, Rangiku-san?" Kira asked.

"You are horrible with finger traps." Rangiku watched the last of the sun rise on the new day.

* * *

What do you think? I didn't check the scanlations guides for what each character calls each other, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. The name of this story is kinda weak, so if you can think up a better name, I'll change it.

This is _the absolute end_ of this story. Please keep posted for my other stories. I plan to make a Renji centered one sometime before... the apocalypse. _(Doesn't like making deadlines)_

I'll braid Renji's hair if you don't review!

Renji: **MAKE HER STOP! **_(Cries...in a very manly way)_


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